Coldness Thaws
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Hurt & struggling, Matt is feeling the sting of regret. He has decided to move on with his brother, T.K., and start over. His new friend, Tai, however, seems like the key to a full recovery. Taito, Yaoi, Rated M for language, lemons, and mentioned rape.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, I'm trying something new here. This is my first Digimon fan fiction, so please be merciful in your reviews. I apologize in advance if they seem OOC, but I've never written as them before. Also, T.K. is gonna be a year older in this one, so he'll be a freshman while Matt is a junior. By the way, this will all be Matt's POV. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Coldness Thaws

Chapter 1

"Matt, it's time to go!" T.K. called to me from downstairs. "We're gonna be late if you don't hurry!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I shouted back as I pulled my shirt on. I had taken a shower when I got up so I would be clean before going to school, and now I was running kinda late. Thankfully, I wasn't hungry, so no worries about breakfast. I barely ate these days anyway, especially not after—never mind. _I'm not even going to go there_, I thought as a light shiver ran down my spine. I ran to my room and grabbed my dark blue messenger bag before rushing down the stairs and slipping my shoes on and turning to my younger brother.

"Ready?" he asked, and I nodded. T.K. looked me over once before nodding to himself in approval, and then we left the house, locking the door behind us.

"We might wanna run T.K.," I said pointedly, and he looked at me as if to say, 'Why?' "'Cause we're gonna definitely be late if we don't."

"Crap!" he yelped, and took off running. I followed easily. It was our first day at our new school, seeing as we had just moved to our new house after some…incidents…a while back. More like six months ago, but still. Anyway, it was just me and T.K. in the house, seeing as our parents died two years ago. We had gained their inheritance and life insurance policy money, so we were set. But we needed a fresh start after the incident six months ago, so we moved into a small two-story house in a different city, and registered into a new school that happened to be within reasonable walking distance. Fortunately, T.K. and I were both in high school now, so we didn't have to worry too much about being separated during the day.

Finally, the school came into view, and I took the lead, my feet pounding on the concrete as we ran into the building and slowed to a quick walk as we neared the office. We walked inside, trying to catch our breath, and I approached the front desk.

"Hello, dear," the woman at the desk greeted. "Are you new here?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm Matt Ishida and this is my brother, T.K."

"Oh, yes, of course," she smiled. "I'll get the students who will help you around the school. They have the same class schedules as you both, so that will make it much easier."

"Thanks," T.K. grinned as he joined me, and we waited until the 'guides' arrived. When they did, we got up as they walked in. One of them was a tan-skinned boy my age with messy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, wearing a pair of goggles that rested on his forehead. He was also a little shorter than me. I guessed this was my guide. The other, a young girl, was a little shorter than T.K., and also had brown hair and eyes. She even had a camera on a lanyard hanging around her neck.

"Hi, I'm Tai Kamiya, and this is my sister, Kari Kamiya," the boy said, and his sister, Kari, smiled.

"Hello," she greeted with a small wave.

"Nice to meet you," T.K. grinned. "I'm T.K. Ishida and this is my brother, Matt."

"Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, how about we take you guys to your classes?" Tai suggested, and we nodded.

T.K. hugged me briefly, and whispered, "You'll be okay, Matt." I nodded minutely against his shoulder before pulling away and smiling at him in reassurance.

"See you at lunch, T.K.," I told him, and he left with Kari. I turned to Tai, and he grinned widely before leading me to our first class.

"We're a bit late, but don't worry. The teacher knows about me being a guide," he said as we walked. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "So, how come you changed schools?" I immediately tensed up as I walked, but tried to play it off, thinking of a quick lie.

"Just needed a change," I murmured. Fortunately, Tai seemed to notice I wasn't going to tell much more about it, and changed the subject.

"Eager to start junior year?" he grinned.

"The only thing I'm eager about is being done with school, even though I just got here," I muttered.

"Yeah, I think just about everyone feels the same way," Tai chuckled. "My friend Izzy loves school and learning, though. He's always been really smart. Oh! Speaking of which, how would you and your brother like to sit with us at lunch? I'm sure Kari's extended the invitation to T.K. by now."

"I…guess so," I shrugged, feeling a bit hesitant. I barely knew this guy, and he's already offering for T.K. and me to sit with his group of friends at lunch? Well, I guess there's safety in numbers…

"Awesome," Tai smiled, and then we arrived at the door to our first class, Math. He opened it and let me in first, and the teacher was just beginning to call out names for attendance.

"Nice of you to join us, Tai," the teacher said sarcastically, but then he noticed me. "Ah, I didn't realize you were guiding the new student. Your name is…?"

"Matt Ishida," I answered softly, and he directed me to sit with Tai towards the back. There was a redheaded girl back there waiting for him.

"Hey Tai," she greeted in a whisper as we sat down. Sitting in front of Tai, I tuned out of their conversation as I tried to take notes while listening to the teacher's lecture. That's when I felt someone poke my back, and I growled under my breath.

"What?" I hissed, looking back to see Tai was the offender. "I'm trying to take notes so I don't fail."

"Sorry, I just wanted to introduce you to my friend Sora," he told me, gesturing to the redhead. She looked irritated with me, and I glared back at her slightly.

"Doesn't seem she wants to know me," I muttered, turning back to face to front. Before I turned, however, Tai noticed Sora's expression and chided her in a quiet voice as I tuned back into the lecture. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, and Sora stormed out of the room, annoyed.

"What's with her?" a short boy with messy, rust-colored hair asked as he joined us.

"Oh, she's just upset that I told her to be nice to Matt here," Tai shrugged, and turned to me. "This is Izzy, our resident genius in our group of friends! He's a whiz with computers, so if you ever need help with them, feel free to ask him."

"As long as it doesn't involve me doing your homework for you," Izzy chuckled, and held out his hand to me. "Nice to meet you, Matt." I shook hands with him, and he said, "We'd better hurry to Biology, or else we're toast."

"Right, I'm sure Joe is waiting for us!" Tai nodded, and the pair led me to the basement of the school, where all the science classes apparently were. The brunette guided me to the side in the middle row of seats, where a guy with glasses and dark blue hair was sitting.

"Hey guys," he waved, and looked at me with interest. "Who's this?"

"This is Matt," Tai told him. "He's the new student I'm guiding around. Matt, this is Joe. He's focusing on science while in high school so he can be a doctor."

"Nice to meet you," Joe smiled, and we shook hands. Suddenly, the door opened, and the teacher came in. Everyone scrambled into their seats, even me. I sat next to Tai, and he grinned at me.

"You're gonna like it in here. We hardly ever get homework, and the tests are easy," he informed me as I pulled out my notebook.

"Good to know," I murmured, and, once again, tuned everything around me out as I focused on taking notes. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Joe and Izzy were doing the same thing, whereas Tai was about to nod off. I poked him with my pencil, and he jerked awake, startled.

"What the—" he started to say, but I shushed him.

"You were about to fall asleep," I whispered, and he gave me a sheepish look. Rolling my blue eyes, I refocused back on the lecture.

When class ended, Tai looked at me, sighing in relief. "Sorry about nearly falling asleep, Matt," he apologized. "Biology makes me want to sleep sometimes."

"Are you sure it's not because you stayed up late last night talking with Sora?" Izzy teased, and Tai looked confused.

"Uh, I wasn't talking with Sora last night," he said, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"That's not what I saw," Izzy smirked.

"Oh, that may have been Kari under my login," Tai realized, and Izzy shrugged.

"Hey guys, I gotta go, but I'll see you at lunch," Joe said, leaving for another science class.

"See ya, Joe!" the other two called after him, and Izzy started to separate, too.

"I'll see you at lunch, too. I need to go to my tutoring class," he explained, and we nodded. "See ya, guys!"

"See ya, Izzy!" Tai waved, and turned back to me. "Ready for gym?"

"I guess so," I mumbled, but then realized something. "Wait, don't we need a change of clothes for gym?"

"Yeah, but I have an extra set that's completely clean and brand new," the brunette told me.

"Okay, as long as they're not something stupid," I muttered, and let the happy-go-lucky brunette lead me to the gym. Once we walked in, Tai handed me a pair of dark blue shorts and a dark grey t-shirt before starting to change in the boys' locker room. I thanked him and quickly slipped into one of the bathroom stalls in there and changed in privacy so no one would see my scars, let alone ask about them. As soon as I was finished, I hurried out to rejoin Tai. The tan-skinned boy was waiting for me by the locker room entrance. I noticed Sora from Math class already sitting on the gym floor with everyone else, and I groaned internally. She's gonna give me hell if I do anything better than her, I'm sure of it…

"Okay, students, time to split into teams for soccer," the coach announced as he emerged from his office. "Split into two teams and meet me out on the field."

Everyone began to divide into the teams, and I ended up on Tai's team while Sora somehow ended up on the other team. Once we joined the coach outside, he set everything up, and Tai helped me with it a bit, guiding me as he scored goal after goal. I soon was able to hold my own against the roughness of the other students, shoving back a bit when I was shoved.

It seemed that Sora had noticed this, however, and tried to ram me to get the ball away from me as I kicked it along the ground to her team's goal. I swiftly darted away using a small burst of energy with the ball at my feet, avoiding any and all contact with the redheaded girl, and she fell to the ground with a grunt. She waved the coach off when he checked her over, and quickly ran after me. I soon kicked the ball into the goal, the goalie's fingers grazing over the edge of the ball as it shot past.

"All right! Awesome job, Matt!" Tai praised as he ran over. He bent over slightly, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "You're pretty fast, man. How'd you get to be so quick?"

"I used to be on track at my last school," I answered with a one-shouldered shrug. It was true, even though I had more than that to say, but I didn't want to tell him about my past. Not yet, anyway.

"Maybe you should join the track team here!" the brunette suggested. "You're really fast, and I'm sure you'd be great on the team."

"I'll think about it," I told him, looking away. Honestly, I'd rather not, but I didn't want to tell him why. I would talk to T.K. about it tonight. Besides, I didn't want to be rude and outright say "no" when I hadn't really given it much thought. Finally, the bell rang, and everyone went back inside to change and run off to their next class. Tai told me to go ahead while he hung back and spoke with Sora. As I walked ahead, I tuned into their conversation. Sure, I wasn't close enough for a normal person to hear, but I could hear them with my keen hearing.

"Sora, how come you tried to ram Matt earlier?" Tai was demanding in a low voice. He sounded pissed.

"I didn't! I was trying to get the ball from him, and besides, he was shoving others on my team!" she protested quietly.

"It's soccer, Sora!" he reminded her. "People shove each other all the time! And you wouldn't have fallen if you were just trying to get the ball."

"I know that!" she snapped. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Tai." With a huff, she stormed ahead, right past me with so much as a glance in my direction. Tai joined me shortly afterwards, and we went to the locker room in silence. Damn, I was being the odd one out again…I even managed to make a pair of friends fight…

"Maybe I should eat by myself today, Tai," I mumbled when I was changed and we were walking to our fourth class. The brunette looked at me, surprised.

"Huh? Why do you say that?" he asked, honestly confused.

"Because I'd rather not be the odd one out," I replied softly. "And I don't want to make anyone else fight…"

"Don't worry about it!" he assured me. "Sora's fine, she's probably on that time of the month, anyway." He laughed at his words, and I couldn't help but smile slightly, amused. "Let's get to the cafeteria, seeing as we have fourth period free."

"Sounds good," I shrugged, and he led me to the cafeteria, where the brunette grabbed a table.

"So, what do you think of the school so far, Matt?" Tai asked as he sat across from me.

"Not sure. Seems like I'll be able to get through to graduation," I told him, shaking my head slightly.

"Yeah, the teachers here are pretty lenient as long as you do well on tests. They want us to all succeed in life," he agreed. "What do you plan on doing when you graduate?"

"Don't know. I'm thinking maybe some kind of art," I replied. "How about you?"

"I want to be the best soccer player in the world," he answered automatically. "As for art, at least you and I will be in art class together. Maybe you can help me and give me some pointers?"

"Sure. Where do you struggle the most?" I asked.

"Everywhere," he laughed. "I can really only draw stick figures."

"Well, I dunno if I can help much, then," I sighed, scratching my head.

"Come on, Matt! At least let me see some of your drawings," he pleaded. "Please?"

"I don't even have my sketches with me, though…" I murmured.

"Try drawing now! Here's a piece of paper," the brunette said, and handed me a blank page from a sketchbook.

"I guess…What should I draw?" I questioned.

"Whatever you feel like drawing," Tai grinned at me, and I pulled out my pencil, proceeding to draw a timber wolf sitting and gazing out over a cliff at the moon. When I finished, the bell had rung, and I pushed the sketch over to Tai, waking him from his little nap.

"Have a good nap, Sleeping Beauty?" I teased, smirking, and he laughed lightly before looking at my sketch. His jaw dropped open in amazement, and the brunette stared at me.

"Holy shit, Matt, this is amazing!" he cried out. "I've never seen such realistic artwork before unless it was a photo! How'd you do that?!"

"How did who do what?" a girl asked as she walked over. She had light brown hair and eyes, and wore a pink cowgirl hat.

"Oh, hey Mimi!" Tai greeted. "This is Matt, and he just drew this awesome picture of a wolf! Look!" He showed her the picture, and she gasped in awe.

"It's so life-like!" she squealed, and I winced slightly at the high pitch. "Has anyone else seen it?"

"No, he just finished drawing it a couple minutes ago," Tai told her, and she nodded.

"We need to show this to the others when they get here!" she said firmly, and Tai laughed as he agreed with her.

"Speaking of which, where are they?"

"Oh, Joe and Izzy should be here soon…" she replied, trailing off as she looked around for them. "And where's Sora?"

"I think she's mad at me," Tai admitted.

"WHAT?! WHY?!" Mimi shrieked.

"Because I told her to be nice to Matt. She tried to ram him in gym on the soccer field today," he explained. Mimi sighed.

"Ugh, I'll find her. In the meantime, show the others this picture! And it was nice meeting you, Matt!" she called as she ran off, handing the drawing back to Tai before leaving.

"Well…um…" I mumbled, unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah, she's something else," Tai chuckled. "Oh! Here come the others, even Kari and T.K.!" I jumped slightly when I heard him say my brother's name and looked up to see T.K. running over with Kari.

"Hey Matt!" the younger blonde called when he got close. "How were your first classes?"

"They went well," I told him as we hugged.

"Hi Matt," Kari waved when T.K. let me go. Then she noticed my drawing. "Whoa! Did you draw that?"

"Yeah, Tai gave me some paper so I could show him how well I draw, and…yeah," I mumbled, embarrassed.

"Wow, Matt. You haven't drawn in a few months," T.K. remarked with a smile. "Looks like your skills are still sharp."

"Yeah, we'll see how well I can keep it up in class, though," I smirked.

"That's amazing, Matt!" Izzy said when he joined us and saw the drawing. "I'm more into making artwork on my computer in art class, but you have a special gift for creating realistic pieces."

"He's got more in his sketchbook at home," T.K. boasted, and I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed from all of the attention.

"You gotta admit, it's pretty impressive," Joe chimed in as he sat down.

"What's impressive?" a boy's voice asked, and we looked to see a kid with messy brown hair and brown eyes as well as a pair of goggles similar to Tai's come over and wrap his arms around Kari's waist. "Besides me, of course."

"Davis, be nice. We're just admiring Matt's drawing," Kari chided, blushing. She looked at me. "Matt, this is my boyfriend, Davis." At the mention of the word "boyfriend", I noticed T.K. deflate a bit, but he perked up instantly.

"Nice to meet ya, man," Davis grinned, shaking hands with me. "So you're T.J.'s brother, huh?"

"It's T.K.," my brother muttered, offended.

"Whatever," the brown-haired freshman said, rolling his eyes. I immediately didn't like this guy. He's too cocky for his own good.

"Don't mess up my brother's name," I growled, narrowing my eyes. "It's two simple letters. It should be easy enough to get right."

"Touchy-touchy," Davis smirked. "Let's see how well you can do on the tracks."

"Oh boy…Here we go again…" Tai sighed, facepalming as Izzy slammed his head on the table.

"What?" I uttered, quirking a brow at everyone.

"You heard me, let's go outside and see who can race faster," the cocky bastard grinned. Internally, I was laughing my ass off, but I kept a cool exterior as Davis led the way outside. _Oh, he's gonna get it now…_ I thought to myself as we got ready at the starting line.

"Okay, so the loser has to respect the winner and buy him lunch every Friday for three weeks," Davis declared, and we shook on it. I smirked as Kari pulled out her camera just in case it was close.

"Ready, go!" Tai shouted, and we took off. I dashed ahead of Davis after a few meters, grinning, as he stared after me.

"What the hell!" he yelped, and tried to catch up, but I was quick to reach the finish line. When he finally got to the finish line, he was glaring at me. "How the hell did you manage to beat me?!"

"I was on the track team at my last school," I smirked. "Maybe you should think before opening your mouth."

"Shut up!" Davis snapped, and tried to punch me, but I caught his fist, my gaze icy as I glared furiously at him.

"Don't even think about it," I spat, shoving him away.

"How are you two dating?" Tai asked Kari.

"Right now, I have no clue…" Kari sighed. Tai shrugged and came over to me with T.K.

"You okay, Matt?" the brunette asked as I took a deep breath.

"…Yeah, I'm fine now," I replied once I was calm. T.K. and Tai took me back inside, the others following, except for Davis. He sat there on the ground, glaring at me as we left him. Kari was quick to follow us, giving her boyfriend, or rather, soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, a dirty look as she passed him. When we got inside, we sat down, the others going to grab some lunch, while T.K. and I pulled out our packed lunches. We didn't feel much like eating the cafeteria food, anyway.

"Thanks, Matt, for defending me," T.K. murmured as he ate his sandwich.

"Anytime, T.K.," I smiled at him. We resumed eating, and my brother smiled at Kari when she sat next to him with her lunch. I could tell he liked the brunette girl, especially judging by his reaction when she introduced Davis as her boyfriend. I know he stands a chance with her, it'll just take some time.

"Sorry about Davis, he's just too cocky and hates losing," Kari apologized to me.

"It's okay," I shrugged. "Just make sure he says T.K.'s name right from here on out, or else he'll need another ass-kicking." Kari giggled.

"I'll make sure he does," she smiled. It wasn't until lunch was over that I realized Mimi had never returned with Sora.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

The rest of the day went by smoothly, and eventually, T.K. and I were walking home. We walked in silence, but when we got home, T.K. turned to me.

"So, what do you think of the new school, Matt?" he asked as he took his shoes off.

"It's fine, I guess," I mumbled, taking my own shoes off. Smirking, I added, "Looks like you have a love interest already, though."

"You noticed that?!" my brother yelped, blushing.

"Well, it was obvious to me, but I hope it wasn't too obvious to Davis," I grinned. "Then again, that guy has nothing going on in his head other than showing off and being a moron."

"True," T.K. laughed. "What about you? Anyone catch your eye yet?"

"No," I stated with a scowl. I fixed my brother with a hard look. "You do remember why we're even in a new school, right?"

"Yes, I know, but I highly doubt any of those people are like _him_," T.K. pointed out.

"T.K., I don't want to risk it and get hurt again, let alone have a repeat of what happened six months ago," I muttered, looking away.

"Look, Matt, you're already friends with Tai, it looks like to me. I bet you that the only judgmental one of the group is just Davis," my brother shrugged.

"Yeah, I don't think so," I grumbled, thinking of Sora.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I'm talking about Sora, this girl in the group who didn't show up at lunch with us today, and—"

"What did she do?" T.K. cut me off.

"She tried to ram me in gym while we were playing soccer today, and when Tai got upset with her for it, she left and didn't show up for lunch," I explained.

"Ah, gotcha," he murmured. Then he looked up at me in realization. "Sounds like she thinks you might be trying to steal Tai from her, and she's jealous."

"But they're not even dating," I said, furrowing my brows in confusion. "Why would she be jealous?"

"She's got to be interested in him, then," the younger blonde told me. "Just because they're not dating, doesn't mean she's not gonna try and keep you away."

"Whatever, Tai and I are just friends," I muttered, and looked at the time; 5:30 already. "Hungry?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, just let me get changed, and I'll cook tonight," T.K. told me, and I smiled.

"Thanks," I said softly. "I'm gonna get changed, too."

As I changed into some pajamas, which consisted of just a pair of black sleep pants and a white t-shirt with ice crystals patterned on it, I thought about what my brother had said. Sure, the sick bastard from my past was sentenced to life in prison without parole or bail, but that didn't mean I was free from being hurt. I just don't want to risk it. I don't want to be raped again…

A/N: And there you have it! Please R&R, and let me know what I should do to improve! I know the group looks like their younger selves, but I think Matt and the gang look better that way. The only exception to that is Kari and T.K., but they're supposed to be freshman in high school, so what do you expect? Anyway, please be merciful on what I can do to improve this fic! R&R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter, cuz I like this fic so far! Anyway, this chapter continues where I left off from the end of chapter 1. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Coldness Thaws

Chapter 2

I curled into a ball on my bed as I thought about what had happened six months ago. That sick bastard of an ex-boyfriend had raped me when I wouldn't put out for him, and now he was rotting in prison while I still suffered from the aftermath of the events. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes as I thought about it.

It wasn't just a one-time thing, either. He had kidnapped me from home, kept me in his basement for three weeks, and treated me like his personal sex slave. He raped me, made me give him blow jobs, and tormented me. Basically, he played mind games with me. He would trick me into answering a question while raping me like, "Do you enjoy this?" When I would answer no, he would slap me. If I answered yes, though, he would slap me and call me a whore. Either way, I would get slapped. That's just how sick he is.

There was a knock on my door, and I realized I had been in here for way too long. "Matt? What's wrong?" T.K. called through the wood. I couldn't speak, but instead let out a sob. When he heard me, my brother immediately hurried inside and saw me on my bed, crying.

"Oh, god, Matt…" he murmured, and sat down next to me, hugging me tightly. "You were thinking about him again, weren't you?"

"I can't help it, T.K.!" I wailed through my sobs. "He scarred me, both physically and mentally!"

"Matt, calm down, you're gonna go into a panic attack again," T.K. urged with worry in his voice, rubbing my back soothingly. I tried to take deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down, and it worked after a few minutes.

"Sorry…" I sniffed when I had finally stopped crying.

"Don't worry about it, Matt," my brother smiled reassuringly at me. "I know how hard it was for you in the beginning once it was over and you were home. I don't want you to ever go through that again, especially the therapy. Mom and Dad wouldn't if they were here, either." I sniffed again, feeling pathetic.

"Yeah…you're right…" I mumbled. "I don't want to relive it, but it's just so hard to _not_ think about it sometimes."

"I know, I know. Listen, let's get some food in you that way you're not starving yourself again like I know you do. I know you didn't eat breakfast this morning, so you need to eat dinner. And lunch can't be the only meal you eat in a day." He smirked at me, making me flush slightly, a bit embarrassed for getting caught.

"Sorry, T.K.," I apologized, lowering my gaze.

"Stop, apologizing, Matt!" the younger blonde chastised. "Come on, up and at 'em."

"Going," I chuckled softly, and followed my brother to the kitchen. "What did you end up making?"

"Soup and rice balls," he answered. "Didn't want to make you sick in the morning. I know how you get after an episode."

"Thanks, T.K.," I smiled slightly, and he grinned.

"It was nothing. You know I'll always be here for you, Matt," he assured me. We ate in companionable silence that evening, and then I went to bed. As I fell asleep while T.K. was in the shower, I thought about what he had told me. I really need to make the attempt to try and move on from the rape, but it's easier said than done. I'll have to try, starting tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a new day…

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Today was definitely a new day, and I knew something was gonna change. Whether it was for better or worse, though, I couldn't tell. Call it a sixth sense, but I knew something was going to be different about today. Anyway, T.K. handed me a Pop-Tart right before we left, and I nodded to him gratefully. I ate it on the way to school, feeling distracted by the sense that something was gonna happen.

"Matt?" I looked down at T.K., seeing as he was shorter than me. "What's wrong? You're being really quiet. What's on your mind?"

"…I feel like something's gonna happen today, T.K.," I murmured. "I don't know if it's something good or bad, but I just know something's gonna happen."

"Let me guess, that sixth sense?" he asked. He sighed when I nodded. "Okay. Do you want me to share with Kari about what happened and what's going on now?" At my panic-stricken expression, he hurriedly added, "Calm down, Matt! Kari's a good person. She's genuine, and won't think any less of you. She already likes you as a good friend, even though it's only been a day. If anything, she'll want to help you."

"I've trusted you my whole life, Takeru," I said after a moment. "And I'll continue to trust you. If you say Kari's okay, then I'll believe you. Tell her the story, just make her promise not to tell anyone else."

"Gotcha," T.K. nodded. "I will, I promise."

"Thanks," I smiled, and then we arrived at the school.

"Sorry, Matt, but I gotta split off. I'm gonna meet with Kari and try to tell her the story before it's too crowded," my brother apologized, and I nodded in understanding.

"No worries, T.K.," I assured him. "Do you know where I should meet with Tai at?"

"Probably your guys' first class," he suggested, and I nodded before hugging my brother briefly.

"Aww, isn't that sweet," a familiar voice said sarcastically. I glared at Davis, the source, and he smirked from where he stood nearby with Kari.

"Didn't you learn anything from yesterday? Or are you just too stupid to learn?" I spat. Davis glared at me with an angry flush.

"Shut up, asshole!" he snapped.

"Maybe you should learn to pick your battles more wisely, Davis," I smirked. Once again, he swung at me, but I swiftly caught his fist and twisted his arm so it was behind his back, making him yelp in pain as I slammed him into the wall. "Stop trying to fight me. You're not gonna win."

"Like hell I won't!" he growled, and I released him.

"You've already lost this fight, Davis," I told him. "Just learn from your losses and move on." When I said that, I shoved him away from me, knowing I should listen to my own advice, but ignored it for the time being.

"Davis, stop being such a jerk, would you?" Kari snapped at him, and he flinched slightly, looking back at her.

"Sorry, Kari…" he mumbled.

"You know what, Davis? Tai was right. How did I ever start dating you?" the brunette girl said rhetorically. "As of now, we're over. I'm breaking up with you because you're a jerk and don't seem to realize how to be nice."

"But, Kari!" her now-ex-boyfriend protested. "Please don't! I'm sorry, I really am!"

"I don't _care_! We're not a couple anymore!" Kari yelled at him, her light brown eyes blazing. She then looked at T.K. "Come on, T.K. Let's get to class." My brother mouthed the word "later" to me, and I nodded minutely. He would tell her, just not right now. It wasn't a good time. Once they were gone, Tai approached.

"Heya Matt," he greeted, pretending as though nothing had happened, but in all reality, I could tell he had witnessed and heard the events that had just taken place. Ignoring Davis, he asked, "Ready for class?"

"I guess," I sighed, smiling slightly at him. Now, normally, I would probably be about ready to swing at Tai's head by now because of his happy-go-lucky personality, but for some reason, I didn't feel the urge to. It was weird.

"By the way, Mimi warned me that Sora's still being a bitch about yesterday, so try not to let her get to you," he warned me.

"No promises," I muttered, frowning at the prospect of having to deal with Sora. When we got into the classroom, Tai and I sat where we had yesterday, and I noticed that the redheaded girl was watching me with a knowing look. One that seemed to say, 'I know your dirty little secret…' I paled instantly, my eyes widening and pupils constricting, realizing she must have read the article in the news about my case and the trial. I knew it was out, but I didn't expect that anyone here would have read it.

Feeling shaky and sick to my stomach all of a sudden, I nearly bolted for the door, but held calm. I knew if I did, then Tai would be worried and Sora would get the reaction she wanted out of me. I took a few deep breaths to relax, and then looked away from where she sat off to the side, focusing my attention to the front.

"You okay, Matt?" Tai asked me in a low voice.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I replied without looking. I wasn't trying to push him away, but I didn't want everyone to know, especially not now.

"Hey, in case you ever need to talk, just let me know, okay?" the brunette offered, and handed me a slip of paper. I looked back at him, surprised when I saw his cell number on there.

"Seriously? But we've barely known each other for a day," I said, furrowing my brows in confusion.

"I know that, Matt. But you just seem like you need someone to talk to sometimes, and I mean other than your brother," he smiled softly. "After all, we're friends."

"…Thank you," I mumbled shyly, shocked by his words. I'm already his friend…? He nodded to me right as the teacher walked in.

Later, when class was over, Tai and Izzy led me to Biology, where Joe was waiting for us. We took our seats together, and Izzy asked, "What's with Sora? Is she still upset about yesterday?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Tai sighed. "Hopefully she'll get over it somewhat soon."

"For all of our sakes," Joe muttered. "She's bringing Mimi down with her negativity, and you know Mimi: always happy and cheerful."

"Seriously?" the brunette gaped. "What is _wrong_ with Sora? She's gonna drag everyone down at this rate!"

"Hopefully we can snap her out of it before the weekend," Izzy said. "After all, it's Wednesday, and we only have until this Friday afternoon to get her to cool it."

"True," Joe agreed. "We'll come up with something." The other two nodded, and I remained quiet, seeing as it really didn't involve me unless she brought up my past.

"Whatcha thinking about, Matt?" Tai questioned in a soft voice once the lesson had started. I shook my head at him minutely, flicking my eyes at the teacher. I did _not_ want to get in trouble. He nodded once, agreeing with me, and passed me a small note. It read, 'Can we talk later?'

'Yeah, after school,' I wrote back, discreetly sliding it back to him. He gave a tiny nod without looking at me, and we resumed taking notes for class. I can't believe I'm going to tell Tai, even though I barely know him. I need to talk to T.K. before school ends. Desperately at that.

Finally, the bell rang, and Tai and I split off from Izzy and Joe to go to gym. During the entire period, I noticed Sora had a certain gleam in her eyes, as if she was dying to reveal my past. Glaring at her, I eventually rolled eyes and shook my head, putting my focus back on the badminton game we were playing. Tai and I were on one team, and another couple of kids were on the other.

As we played, I tried to remain outwardly calm, but I was panicking on the inside. I didn't want to share my entire story with someone I barely knew, and yet, I felt it would help me. Tai seemed like someone who wouldn't judge anyone unless they were a truly bad person. Like the psycho my ex was.

Finally, the gym teacher blew the whistle, and everyone went to change in their respective locker rooms. While I changed in a bathroom stall, I thought about how Tai was so different from just anyone. He's kind, genuinely so, and so is his sister. My sixth sense just told me that he was to be trusted, and it was never wrong. And what happened this morning with Kari and Davis was proof of that. Kari broke up with Davis, which was good and bad. Good because the cocky son of a bitch wouldn't be around us anymore, and bad because Kari was obviously upset by it. Yes, I know _she_ broke up with _him_, but it's still hard to deal with when you realize you're single. I would know the feeling…

"Matt? You ready to chill for our free period?" Tai's voice called out with a slight echo, and I realized we were the last ones in the locker room. I quickly finished tugging on my shirt before hurrying out to rejoin Tai.

"Sorry about that," I mumbled as we walked to the cafeteria.

"Don't worry about it, Yamato," he grinned, and laughed lightly when he saw my look of surprise and irritation. "What? You expected me to never find out your real name?"

"How'd you find out?" I asked, suddenly tense and anxious.

"Oh, it's on the copy of your class schedule that they gave me yesterday," he told me. I relaxed, thanking any lucky stars I had left that he hadn't heard it from Sora. "Anyway, I know you want to talk after school today, so how about you come over to my place? We can talk there. Besides, there's no one eavesdropping there like people do here."

"True," I agreed, and nodded to him. "I'll come over with you after school. We'll talk then."

"Sounds good," the brunette smiled, and folded his hands behind his head as we walked. When he moved his hands, though, his fingers brushed mine briefly, and a flutter of excitement rushed through me. What was that all about? Wait…I felt this way when I first started dating my ex, only it was milder back then. Does that seriously mean I like Tai as more than a friend? NO! I can't do this again! We barely know each other!

_And yet, you trust him enough to tell him about what happened_, my sixth sense reminded me. I felt a tremor of fear run through me at the reminder; I don't want to risk it happening again, so I'm just going to ignore it. Hopefully it won't mess me up in the long run…

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When the school day was over, I had spoken to T.K. and assured him I would be okay with Tai. He knew I would be, and also ordered me to come home if anything happened. I promised I would, and he walked home with Kari. They had a project to work on, apparently, and this would be a good time for them to work on it alone. I walked over to Tai, who was a standing out of the way of the crowd, and I nodded to him.

"Let's go," the brunette said warmly with a small smile to me, and he led the way to his place. We walked in a semi-comfortable silence, and then we arrived at the apartment complex he lived in. By the time we arrived at the right floor, my nerves were nearly shot. I was about to get cold feet, but by that time, it was too late. The door shut behind us, and I pulled my shoes off like Tai did, feeling a small sense of dread try and take over me.

Tai led me over to the couch, where he had me sit on one end while he sat next to me, but left enough room so I would have some space. "So…" he began. "What's your story?"

A/N: And there's a cliffy! I'll have this updated soon, though, after I update Inner Wolf. R&R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And now, chapter 3! This contains information about Matt's rape, but I won't go into agonizing detail with it. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Coldness Thaws

Chapter 3

"_So…" he began. "What's your story?"_

"…Let me start…from when I met my first and only boyfriend," I mumbled. Tai's eyes widened slightly at the mention of my having a boyfriend, but I did my best to ignore it. "I met Rick two years ago, back in my freshman year of high school. We became fast friends, and eventually started dating after four months. What I didn't know was that Rick was incredibly jealous, and didn't want me around any of my other friends, especially the guys. I'm gay, not bi, so he wasn't worried about girls too much. Whenever I hung out with my friends, though, he would always demand to know where I'd been, what I was doing, and who all was there. He was starting to control me, and I didn't like it, but I was desperate for love, so I let him. After about a year and a half of this, I told him to change and stop controlling me so much, or else I would break up with him.

"Rick didn't like that, and started yelling at me, so I broke up with him. A couple weeks later, I was kidnapped by him. He knocked me out and took me to his basement, where he proceeded to rape me, beat me, and force me to give him blowjobs. He tortured me physically, mentally, and emotionally. For example, he would ask me if I liked being fucked, and if I said no, he would slap me and tell me I should, but if I said yes, he would slap me anyway and call me a whore." At this point, tears were starting to form in my eyes, but I continued.

"Three weeks later, when the police found us, he was getting ready to kill me. He had already slashed across my chest and arms with his hunting knife, and was about to slit my throat when he was shot in the arm by a cop. He dropped the knife, and the police took him into custody while paramedics helped me with my wounds and got me to a hospital. When T.K. was notified, he was in hysterics as soon as he saw me. I was treated for several cuts and gashes, a concussion from when he had thrown me into the basement. They took a rape kit, and it all went to trial. I was forced to stand trial against him, and recount every agonizing detail in court.

"Finally, after a few days of this, Rick was sentenced to life in prison without parole or bail, and I was advised to go into therapy for my experience. I didn't want to go over it anymore if I could help it, so I declined the offer. T.K. and I moved here, away from it all, just so we could have a fresh start and hopefully improve my life," I finished. By this time, the tears were flowing freely down my cheeks, and when I stopped speaking, a choked sob broke free. I shook violently as I began to remember everything so vividly, and I screwed my eyes shut in an attempt to block it out. Unfortunately, that made it worse, and I whimpered loudly, trying to make it all go away.

When I felt a pair of arms encircle my shoulders, I gave an involuntary flinch, but then huddled into the warm embrace, sobbing and crying uncontrollably. I needed some comfort right now, and anyone who offered a hug would work. Especially if the hug was from a friend.

"Ssshhh," Tai soothed, rubbing one of his hands in calming circles along my back to relax me. I arched my back slightly into the touch, and then relaxed. "It's okay, Matt. He's not here to hurt you anymore. I wouldn't let him near you, anyway." What he had said finally registered, and I pulled away slowly to look at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked hoarsely, trying to blink the tears out of my eyes.

"You're my friend, Matt," he reminded me. "And friends look out for each other, no matter what." I blinked at him in surprise.

"…Thank you," I murmured, lowering my gaze and looking at the floor.

"Don't worry about it," he smiled, and hugged me briefly before getting up. "Are you hungry?" I watched him, bewildered by the sudden change in subject.

"Um, what?" I uttered.

"I was wondering if you wanted a snack at all," he explained, grinning. "I know that when _I_ break down emotionally, I get hungry afterwards. I dunno about you, but some popcorn sounds good right now." I caught the part about him breaking down, and I watched him curiously.

"You've had emotional breakdowns?" I questioned, and he nodded.

"Losing your parents at the age of 15 does that to you," he murmured, looking down.

"I would know," I sighed, and he suddenly switched his gaze back to me.

"Wait, were your parents even around when this happened to you?" he demanded.

"No, they died in a car accident shortly before I met Rick," I answered softly. "Why?"

"Oh gods, Yamato," he sighed, and came back over to me, hugging me again. It was only a friendly gesture, yet when he pulled back, a twinge of disappointment washed over me. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay. I've got T.K., and he's my only family left. As long as I have him, I'll be okay," I assured him.

"I know what you mean," Tai agreed. "Kari and I only have each other for family, but we've also got our friends, and they help so much." He frowned. "But Sora…she's not being a good friend right now, though…And I have no idea why. Speaking of her, why was she giving you those weird looks today?"

"Probably because she read the article about the trial online," I muttered, looking away. "She had this knowing look in her eyes, and I have a bad feeling she's gonna tell people, but I don't want everyone knowing about my past. It won't help…"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she won't tell," he promised. "Besides, if she does, then she won't be my friend anymore, let alone anyone else's. You just don't spread that kind of stuff around school. It's wrong."

"How will you make her not tell? She obviously doesn't like me…" I mumbled.

"Trust me," he urged with a small smile. "I have my ways."

"I trust you," I nodded, and he grinned.

"So, how about that popcorn?" he suggested, and my stomach growled in response to his words, making me blush. "Don't worry, Kari and I keep plenty of food in this house, especially considering how much I eat."

"The way you make it sound, you must have a black hole stomach," I snickered, and he pouted for a moment.

"Whatever," he retorted, rolling his eyes, but smiling none-the-less. While the popcorn cooked in the microwave, Tai said, "Okay, so I know your full first name. I'm gonna guess you'd like to know mine?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

"Taichi."

"Well, now I know what to call you when I need to snap you out of your thoughts," I chuckled. "That is, if you ever get lost in them, but I highly doubt that, considering you don't always think." I snickered at my own joke.

"Hey!" he huffed indignantly, folding his arms. Smirking, he replied, "And I think I have a nickname for you, Matt." _Uh-oh…_ I thought to myself. "Yama."

"Aw, man! Seriously?!" I glared playfully at him, and he laughed. "Fine, just don't call me that around anyone else…"

"No promises, Yama," he chuckled as he rejoined me with the popcorn. I swatted at him before starting to eat some popcorn. "Hey now, don't be mad because I came up with a nickname for you!"

"I'm not mad, just hungry," I grinned, and took another handful of popcorn. Tai smiled and rolled his eyes, and then clicked on the TV. We watched some comedy show while eating popcorn, and I laughed, truly enjoying myself for the first time in a long time. Eventually, though, it started to get dark, and then there was a knock on the door.

"I got it," Tai said, heaving himself off the couch, and then he answered the door.

"Hey guys," T.K. greeted, and walked in with Kari. "We finished our project, surprisingly."

"Good to hear," I said, standing and stretching.

"Looks like you two had some fun while I wasn't home," Kari smiled, and patted my shoulder as I passed.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Tai called as we left, heading downstairs and off for home.

"So, how'd it go?" T.K. asked once the door was closed behind us when we got home.

"It went…surprisingly well," I answered. "He promised he wouldn't let another scumbag like Rick come near me."

"Really? Good to know," my brother smiled. "At least he knows now, and I have a feeling he'll never hurt you, Matt."

"You think?" I quirked a brow at him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And I know you ate while with Tai, so we don't have to cook tonight."

"How'd you know that one?" I demanded.

"I saw the popcorn bowl," he grinned cheekily. I merely rolled my eyes in response before bidding T.K. goodnight and heading to bed. For the first time in a long time, I got a solid night's sleep without any bad dreams.

X*X(2 Months Later)X*X

Over the past couple of months, Tai and I have gotten a lot closer. As friends, anyway. We're now best friends, but lately, I've been feeling more and more strongly about him. I realized I had fallen for Tai two weeks ago while we were hanging out at his place watching TV, and he had called me "Yama" in a certain tone to get my attention away from the TV and onto him. Damn, when he had said it that way, I had realized how hard I had fallen in love with the brunette.

However, I had been pretending that everything was still normal between us, and not said a thing to him about my attraction to him. Unfortunately, my already high stress level doubled when I had a wet dream about him one night…

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

"_Ah-haaaa…!" I gasped and moaned as the brunette nipped and sucked at my neck, thrusting into me harder. "F-faster, Taichi!"_

"_With pleasure," he grinned devilishly at me before complying, making me cry out with pleasure when he hit my prostate. "You like that, Yama?" he breathed, licking the outer shell of my ear._

"_Y-yes! Oh gods, yes!" I panted, and he thrust into me hard, making my release practically leap closer. It was so close! I was about to cum, and hard…_

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I woke with a start that night, covered in sweat and stickiness, as well as being stuck with a full-blown hard-on. I ended up jerking myself off to the thought of Tai, and was able to resolve my issue with the wet dream. However, I felt so ashamed from having to think like that of my best friend that I couldn't really help but try and avoid him the next day at school. Fortunately, it was Friday, so I could avoid him for the weekend, but if I thought I could completely avoid Tai the entire day, I was sadly mistaken. He cornered me by my locker at the end of the day, his expression worried, hurt, and angered.

"Matt, what's been with you today?" he demanded of me. "You've been avoiding me all day, and haven't said a word to me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I'm just having an off day," I mumbled, trying desperately to figure out how to escape.

"That's bullshit, Yamato," he growled. "You haven't had an off day since we've met, so why would that start now?"

"Tai, leave him be," Kari's voice chimed in as she joined us with T.K. "He really is having an off day. Give him a little time, or at least a day to recover." Tai looked at his sister as I cast her a grateful look.

"You can tell?" he asked her, and she nodded. He stepped away from me, and I sighed in relief. "Sorry about that, Matt. Hey, do you want to come over tomorrow when you feel better? We can just hang around the apartment and watch TV."

"Sure, I'd like that," I nodded, wanting some normal interaction with him.

"Cool, I'll see you tomorrow, Matt!" he called as he and Kari walked off. T.K. approached me, knowing Kari and I had lied to Tai.

"Tell me when we get home," was all he said, and then we walked home in silence. When we got home and the door was shut behind us, he said, "Spill."

"I had a wet dream about Tai last night…" I murmured, blushing brightly. T.K. blushed, too, and then he recovered enough to speak.

"So you like Tai, then?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've fallen for him, and hard," I admitted, blushing brighter.

"Well, just be grateful that Kari saved your ass today," T.K. told me. "She doesn't lie often, and she knew you were getting uncomfortable, so she bailed you out."

"I'll thank her tomorrow," I promised.

"Why did you agree to go over to their place tomorrow, anyway?" my brother asked.

"I just want some normal interaction between us, as friends," I explained.

"Have you even thought about telling him you like him?" the younger blonde suggested.

"I have, but I don't think he'd like me that way," I muttered, looking away.

"Hey, ya never know, Matt," he shrugged, and began to fix dinner. "Does ramen sound okay for dinner tonight?"

"Sure," I nodded, and went to go change into some pajamas. Hopefully tomorrow will go smoothly, and Tai will have no idea about my feelings for him.

A/N: And there's the end of that chapter! I'll update again soon, I promise. R&R, peeps!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: On to chapter 4! …I don't know what else to put. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Coldness Thaws

Chapter 4

"Are you done yet?" TK complained as I finished getting dressed in the bathroom. I didn't answer, just walked out and grinned at him.

"Now I am," I smirked. My brother rolled his eyes at me.

"Whatever. Now let's get going, 'cause I've been ready," he said, and we left quickly, heading over to Kari and Tai's apartment. I was eager for some normalcy with Taichi, and a day of just the two of us best friends hanging out was the perfect plan to me…Well, as much normalcy as you can possibly get from hanging out with Tai.

As TK and I walked, I thought about Sora and Davis. Kari's ex was no longer in deep shit, and was trying to better himself. He wasn't rude anymore, and actually had become a decent guy to hang with. He even found himself a boyfriend. That's right, a _boy_friend. He was now dating Ken Ichijouji, a quiet boy who was very observant and tried to stay under the radar, kinda like me. Surprisingly, Ken knew I was gay, and that I like Tai, but he promised he wouldn't say anything, just giving me a kind, knowing smile. So now TK has a shot with Kari.

As for Sora… She hadn't said anything in weeks, and was hardly ever around nowadays. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about it, but I dismissed it as nothing. I really shouldn't, but I highly doubt she could do anything now. Tai and the others kicked her out from our group when she told them about my rape a month ago, and sent me out crying. I was in near hysterics from her telling them, but thankfully, Tai and TK helped calm me down.

"Matt, snap out of it. We're here," TK informed me, clicking his fingers in front of my face. I gave him a sheepish look and then knocked on the door to my crush's apartment.

"Coming!" Tai's voice rang out from inside, and then there was a thud and a small crash before he opened the door. "Sorry about that," he apologized, and rubbed a little at his ass.

"Um, what happened?" TK asked before I could.

"Was running in socks and I slipped and fell," the brunette mumbled, his face looking embarrassed.

"Tai, that's why I tell you to not run around in socks on the wooden floor," Kari chastised as she joined us. "Hi Matt. Hi TK. Come on in, I was just finishing making some breakfast."

"Nice! Matt here didn't eat breakfast 'cause he was too busy taking a shower, so I'm sure he's hungry, at least. I know I am," my brother grinned, and Kari turned to glare at me.

"Why didn't you eat breakfast, Yamato?" she demanded, hands on hips. "You're too skinny as it is!"

"Sorry…I wasn't hungry," I answered, rubbing the back of my neck. Out of nowhere, my stomach growled, and I flushed in embarrassment as everyone laughed.

"Oh gods, Yama, that was too funny!" Tai laughed. I couldn't help but laugh with them upon hearing Tai's laughter, and then Kari interrupted.

"Okay guys, let's go eat," she giggled.

"Food!" the older brunette squealed, and we stared after him.

"He's extremely food-motivated, isn't he?" TK remarked, and Kari sweat-dropped as I face-palmed from the fact that he just squealed.

"You're just now realizing this?" the brunette girl said pointedly, quirking a brow at my brother.

"True," the younger blonde laughed.

"Well, come on in, and we'll eat before Tai eats all of it," she told us, and we followed her into the kitchen, where Taichi was practically dancing in place in his eagerness to eat. "Calm down, Taichi, you'll get your breakfast!"

"But I want it now! I'm starving, Kari!" the older brunette whined.

"…Have you ever considered getting tested for ADHD?" I questioned, raising a brow at my best friend.

"Nope!" he chirped, but then he realized what I said and immediately pouted. "That wasn't nice, Yama!"

"You're just so hyper, though! Also, you have the attention span of a rock," I chuckled.

"I'm just a happy guy!" he protested. "And I pay attention, as long as it's something interesting!"

"Sure, Chi, keep telling yourself that," I smirked, using the nickname I had come up with for him a few weeks back. He rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"All right, all right, enough bickering, you two," TK interrupted. "Let's just eat some breakfast."

"Sounds good," I grinned at my brother, and Kari dished out equal amounts of scrambled eggs, 2 slices of French toast, and 3 pieces of bacon on each plate. We all sat down at the table and began to eat. TK nearly moaned at the taste when he bit into the French toast.

"Holy shit, Kari, this is great! Best French toast I've ever had," he complimented, causing her to smile in appreciation.

"Thanks TK," she replied, but made a look of distaste when she glanced at her brother, who was scarfing down his food. "Taichi! You're not a pig, so stop eating like one!" He gave her a sheepish grin and slowed down, trying not to inhale his food. The younger brunette rolled her eyes at him. "So, TK, what are our plans for today while these two hang out here?"

"We can go out for some lunch if you want, and then we can go walk in the park," he suggested.

"I like it. Can we go shopping for a bit first? I want to walk off our breakfast first, and then we can go to lunch," she said.

"Sounds good to me," TK agreed, and we finished eating in a comfortable silence.

"Thanks for the breakfast, Kari," my brother and I told her gratefully when we were done.

"It's no problem, guys," she assured us, starting to clean up. "I like to cook, and especially as Tai here can actually manage to burn water, I'm the only one who can."

"Hey!" the older brunette huffed indignantly.

"It's true, so don't deny it," his sister giggled. Tai merely pouted in response.

"Let us clean up," I told her, taking some of the plates from her hands.

"Fine, I could use a little help," she admitted.

"So what are you guys gonna do today?" TK asked as I washed the dishes.

"Watch some movies, play some video games, etc," Taichi said, grinning at me. I nodded in agreement with a small smile. "Just watch! I'm gonna kick your ass in Super Smash Brothers Brawl!" he declared, and I jolted, glaring at him playfully.

"Oh, you think so, huh?" I teased.

"Of course! I've played the game tons of times," he boasted.

"And you think you can beat me easily?" I stated, quirking a brow at him. What he didn't know was that I owned a Wii back home, and I had a great set of scores compared to TK for Brawl. "We'll see about that."

"This I gotta see," Kari giggled, and we quickly finished cleaning up. As soon as we finished, we hurried into the living room and set up the game. I snagged a GameCube controller and plugged it into the Player 1 slot before Taichi could protest. He stuck his tongue out at me childishly, but I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm choosing Pit," the brunette boy announced, and I smirked.

"Lucario," was all I murmured, and we set up the rules for the game. No items except for Smash Balls, Pokéballs, and food, 10 minute matches, and taking turns for choosing arenas. Once that was decided, we started, and I chose Pokémon Stadium 2 as TK and Kari sat behind us on the couch. Tai and I were sitting on the floor in front of the TV.

"Let's do this," I chuckled darkly, earning a weird look from Tai, and the match began. I immediately sent an Aura Sphere at Pit, but he dodged, and I swiftly launched Lucario at Pit. Using the C-stick on the controller, I kicked Pit with a burst of aura energy, knocking him back, and Tai growled under his breath. Suddenly, a Smash Ball appeared, and I leapt at it, breaking it and gaining its power.

I quickly pressed the B button, and Lucario's Final Smash activated, Aura Storm. I cackled, coming out of my shell even more than I had been, and Tai gaped as Pit was flung into the screen from the force of the attack.

"What the hell?!" he yelped, and Kari and TK joined in on my laughter.

"I'm not a newbie to this game, Chi," I grinned, and he glared half-heartedly at me.

"You're gonna get it now!" he shouted, and sent Pit at me. With a growl, I had Lucario block and then grab the winged character by the neck. Grinning maliciously, I made my character punch and kick Pit, and then slam him into the ground with a punch. Finally, I shot another Aura Sphere attack at him, and sent him flying into the side of the screen to another knockout.

"Gah! Dammit!" Tai cried out, smacking his fist on the rug in frustration.

"Hah! Thought you would beat me so easily, huh? Think again!" I teased, and we fought more until the match ended. I knew Tai had gotten some knockouts on me, so I wasn't sure how the score had finished.

"And the winner is…Lucario!" the game announced.

"Aww, come on!" my best friend whined, splaying himself out on the floor on his stomach in front of the TV.

"We're gonna head out now, but we'll see you later," TK told us, and he and Kari left.

"Man, I can't believe I lost…" Tai grumbled. Chuckling, I stuck my foot in his face, making him yelp and jump up, pressing his back against the couch with a shocked and disgusted look on his face. "EEWW! What the hell, Matt?!"

"I was trying to make you sit up and stop whining," I replied simply.

"Well, I have to get you back for that one, now," he smirked. I noticed a mischievous gleam in his eyes, and immediately got to my feet, backing away.

"Taichi…what are you up to?" I demanded warily as he slowly approached me. Before I could scramble away from him, though, he tackled me, making us both flop to the floor, and he began tickling my sides.

"Ack! NO! Tai, STOP!" I begged between laughs.

"No way! Your smelly-ass foot was in my face, and now you're getting punished!" he declared.

"I showered this morning, though!" I protested, and I could feel my face turning red from how hard I was laughing.

"I don't care, that's still gross!" he grinned, but quickly dodged a kick from me as I tried to make him stop. "Hey!"

"Stop tickling me!" I cried out, unable to stop laughing and squirming. Finally, he sat back, stopping, and I lay there, panting and attempting to catch my breath, my face flushed.

"Have you learned your lesson?" the brunette teased.

"Yeah…yeah, I have…" I panted. I looked him straight in the eye, seeing something in those chocolate orbs that I couldn't quite decipher. "This is why I love you, man." I then froze when I realized what I'd said, my eyes going wide.

"Wait, what?" Tai uttered, watching me. His gaze became concerned when he saw my reaction, and I quickly jumped to my feet, threw my shoes on, and bolted out the door, racing down the street to my house, where Taichi couldn't find me.

"Matt, _WAIT!_" he screamed after me as he tried to chase me, but I used my time from being on the track team at my last school well. I fled, running too fast for him to catch up to me, and eventually reached my house, throwing the door open and slamming it shut, locking it, and then hiding in my room and locking that door, too. Just to be safe, though, I dragged my heavy-as-shit fire-proof safe over and blocked the door with it.

I can't believe I blurted it out like that! That wasn't how I wanted him to find out! I didn't want him to know at all! How could I be so stupid?! All these thoughts and more buzzed through my skull, and I buried my face into my pillow, screaming in frustration. I cried hard, too, know that Taichi probably wanted an answer from me, and that if I told him, he would probably never be my friend again. I can't risk it. I'll just have to stay away from him…

A/N: And there's that chapter! I'll post the next one soon, hopefully, after my finals are over! R&R, peeps!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Now to resume from where chapter 4 left off. What will happen with Matt and Tai? Will anything be resolved? Will Yamato try and confess to Taichi? And if he does, will Tai return those feelings? If you want to find out, read the chapter already! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Coldness Thaws

Chapter 5

I don't know how long I was sleeping for, but it was nighttime when I heard the front door opening and shutting followed by voices from outside of my room, and I blearily raised my head and blinked slowly, trying to figure out who else was with TK. After all, only TK and I each have a house key. I realized the other voice was Kari, and their voices sounded worried.

"I hope Matt's holding up okay," TK was saying.

"I don't know," Kari said. "From what Tai said, it sounded like he was really upset."

"What did he say happened?"

"That Matt said something about, 'that's why I love you,' and then freaked and bolted. Tai even tried following him, but couldn't keep up."

"Actually, Kari, Matt is in love with Tai," TK told her. "He told me, and it's obvious to me that he does." I had shuffled to my bedroom door by now with a blanket around my shoulders, and slowly opened it, the hinges creaking as I did. "Matt?" my brother called, and I glanced at him.

"What," I uttered, my voice cracking. It sounded painful, even to me, and I winced at the sound of my voice.

"We heard about what happened with you and Tai," he said softly. I sighed heavily, lowering my gaze to the floor and starting to head back into my room. "Wait, Yamato." I flicked my eyes to look at him briefly, and paused. "Have you eaten at all since this morning?" I shook my head.

"Let's get something in you before you go back to sleep, please?" Kari pleaded gently with me. I made a small sound of compliance, and allowed TK to guide me to the couch.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. I shook my head minutely, and he nodded in understanding. "All right. I won't push you."

Eventually, Kari came back in with a bowl of soup, and I ate about half of it before I started to feel a bit sick.

"Better?" the brunette girl asked.

"Somewhat," I mumbled.

"Okay, well, as long as you have something in your stomach," she nodded.

"Let's get you back to bed," TK suggested, and helped me back to my room, where he got me settled in for the night. I fell asleep that night with tears still in my eyes and a wounded heart.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When I next woke up, I could hear the front door being opened and some whispers. I couldn't tell who was speaking or what was being said for the life of me, which made me nervous. Finally, the door was shut again, and there was silence. I closed my eyes to go back to sleep, but they snapped open when I heard my bedroom door being opened.

"Yama?" Oh _fuck me_. TK and Kari did not just have him come over and leave me alone with him, did they? SHIT! "Yama, it's Tai."

I feigned sleep, deciding to try and avoid talking to him. That's when he sat on the edge of my bed. Luckily, my back was to him, but I was still scared shitless. But when he placed his hand gently on my shoulder, I shook out of fear from the heartbreak I knew was coming.

"Yama, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, and I felt him lean closer. "I know you're awake, so please don't ignore me…I thought you trusted me?" That's when I snapped. I abruptly sat up, shoving him away from me.

"I do trust you, Tai!" I shouted. "I just can't do this anymore!"

"Do what?" He sounded completely bewildered, but I didn't care. At this point, he needed to know, even if he doesn't return my feelings.

"Be around you when I feel so strongly! Every time we're together, even around friends, I feel almost heartbroken! And it's because all I feel these days is pain and angst because I'm in love with you, and I know you don't feel the same!" I screamed, half of my words being choked out between sobs.

When I was done speaking, a strangled sob tore through my chest, and I buried my face in my hands, bawling my eyes out. I was expecting Tai to leave me be while I cried my heart out, so you can imagine my shock when he hugged me tightly, smoothing my hair with one hand. I sobbed harder, assuming he was just trying to ease his own guilt at making me cry, until he spoke.

"Yama, you're so wrong about that," he murmured in my ear. "I feel the same! I love you, too, Yamato." I pulled away to stare at him, stunned.

"What?" I breathed.

"I said, 'I love you, too, Yamato'," the brunette repeated, nothing but honesty, love, and sincerity in his gaze. I still couldn't help but doubt it.

"You mean that?" I whispered, tears still flowing freely down my cheeks. Out of nowhere, he kissed me lovingly, softly, on my lips, and I froze. This couldn't really be happening, could it? This had to be some kind of dream.

He started to pull back after a few seconds, and then I reacted, wrapping my arms around him tightly and kissing him back. Might as well make the best of this dream, even if it ends eventually. Taichi ran the tip of his tongue along my bottom lip, silently asking for entrance, and I willingly gave it to him. The slick pink muscle swept through my mouth, tasting me, and I couldn't resist giving a small moan of satisfaction. Eventually, we had to part for air, and the brunette pulled away, his chocolate eyes shining with love.

"Does that answer your question?" he smiled.

"This has to be a dream, though," I mumbled. "There's no way you could want me… After all, I'm nothing, a nobody…" He surprised me by hugging me tightly to his chest.

"What do I have to do to prove to you that I really do love you?" Tai asked, his breath tickling my ear and sending shivers down my spine. "And you're not nothing, you're not a nobody, you're my Yama. I truly do love you, from the bottom of my heart, and I always will. I promised I would protect you when you told me about your past, and I don't intend to break that promise. Now it has even more meaning because I want to be with you, and because I love you so much. Please know that this isn't a dream, nor is it some kind of deception. I promise, I really, truly love you." Once he finished speaking, it finally hit me: this was all real, and he was telling me the truth. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into the hollow of his throat, crying into it.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I didn't believe you…" I sobbed, my entire frame shaking from my sobs. Tai rubbed soothing circles into my back, his hands reaching under my shirt to rub against my bare skin, calming me faster than if he hadn't. After several minutes had passed, I was calmed down to small hiccups, and, feeling a little brave, kissed his neck. He shuddered lightly at the sensation, and gently grasped my shoulders, pulling me away slightly so I couldn't do it again.

"Don't do that," he scolded with a small smile. "And as for apologizing…I don't blame you, so don't be sorry."

"Still…" I mumbled, but he kissed me lightly on my lips, silencing me.

"It's okay, I promise," my love assured me. "So, can I call you my boyfriend now?" I blushed lightly, nodding. "Awesome," he murmured, and kissed me deeply. His tongue lapped at my lips, so I parted them, allowing him entrance. I moaned softly into Tai's mouth, sucking on his tongue as he tasted me, and successfully drawing a few groans from him. When we broke apart for air, breathing heavily, he refused to let me go.

"I just wanna know one thing, though," the brunette said once we had regained a normal breathing pattern.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Why did you run away yesterday?"

"…Because I was scared that you'd realized my feelings for you when I said what I did before bolting, and I was terrified that you'd reject me," I muttered. "I didn't want things to change between us, so I didn't want to tell you."

"Well, sometimes taking the chance ends up with a positive outcome, doesn't it?" Tai reminded me, and kissed my temple. We lay back against the pillows on my bed, Taichi's arms wrapped around me, and I cuddled into his chest.

"Yeah, but I was I just so focused on the negative outcomes, that was all," I sighed.

"Just focus on the positives and our future together now, how about that?" my boyfriend suggested, and I looked up at him with a smile.

"Sounds good to me," I agreed, kissing him lightly. We remained like that, cuddling together on my bed…until my stomach growled, followed immediately by Tai's stomach practically snarling. We laughed together, and then I said, "How about we get something to eat?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "But we'll stay here and make something."

"Okay," I said compliantly, and we, regretfully, parted from each other's grip so we could get up. Once in the kitchen, I started pulling stuff out from the cabinets to make some angel hair pasta with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, and butter. As I finished up the pasta, I felt Taichi's arms wrap around my waist.

"Smells good," he murmured in my ear, making me shiver.

"It should," I smiled, turning my head to catch his lips in a chaste kiss. We kissed briefly, and then pulled away so I could dish up the pasta. I handed Taichi his bowl of angel hair pasta, and then led my boyfriend to the living room, where I clicked on the TV and changed it to some random show. As soon as we finished eating, I cuddled into Tai's side, and he wrapped his arms around me. It didn't take long until my eyelids started to droop closed, though.

"Tired, huh?" the brunette chuckled softly, and I nodded slightly.

"I cried a lot today, remember?" I reminded him in a sleepy voice. He ran his fingers through my hair, bringing me closer to sleep. Eventually, I knocked out, falling asleep while cuddled up to my boyfriend.

"Sleep tight, and I love you, Yama," I barely heard Tai whisper before I fell into a peaceful slumber.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

"Yama. Yama, wake up. TK's home, and he's got something urgent to tell you." Taichi's voice broke through my state of unconsciousness, and I opened my eyes slowly, blinking a bit to clear the murkiness in my vision. It was late afternoon by now, according to the light filtering through my blinds.

"What's going on…?" I yawned, noticing right away that the brunette looked worried.

"I'm not sure, but TK says it's important, and it doesn't sound like good news," he answered, and grasped my hands. "But no matter what it is, don't forget that I'm here for you." Now I was starting to get scared.

"Okay, Chi," I nodded, and then Taichi called TK in, and Kari followed. "What's wrong, TK?" I asked, seeing the grim look on my brother's face.

"Well, your lawyer from the trial called earlier while you were asleep, Yamato," he began. At my questioning look, he continued. "He called to warn us that Rick has escaped from prison." Immediately, I felt all of the blood drain from my head, and I started to panic. He's gonna come after me, kidnap me, rape me until he's done, and then kill me. The worst part? I know he'll do whatever it takes to get to me, no matter what, even if it requires killing whoever gets in his way.

I began to hyperventilate from my panic, so Tai quickly wrapped his arms around me in a firm, yet reassuring, embrace. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I began to cry again, and he rubbed circles on my back, soothing me slightly, but not completely. I knew this wasn't going to be good. Someone was going to be hurt, and I didn't want anyone to be hurt because of Rick trying to get to me.

"Does he know where you guys live now?" Kari asked.

"I don't know, Michael didn't say. He just knows that it was an outside source that helped him break out, but RIck did all the work," TK replied. "He wanted to warn us that Rick is going to be coming after Matt, and maybe even me, because we basically put him in prison. And he's already notified the police here in Odaiba, just in case. He wants to keep us safe. Michael even called our school, explained the situation without going into extreme details, and they now will understand if any of us misses school."

"Even us?" Tai asked, surprised.

"Yes, I told Michael about you guys being together now, so he told me he would call the school back and let them know," my brother explained. "He texted me shortly after and confirmed it all. So now we're okay as far as school goes. They'll even have someone bring our homework and notes by here each day."

"Who?" Kari questioned curiously.

"Davis and Ken," TK told her. "I called Davis, and he and Ken are more than willing to do it for us. They'll take turns each day with coming by."

"Sounds like we're covered, then," Taichi murmured.

"Yeah, and this is going to happen until Rick is caught and back in prison, or caught and executed," I finally was able to say, my tone bitter.

"It's okay, Yama, I don't mind, I really don't," my boyfriend assured me. "I just need to get some things from my place, and we'll be set. After all, I need my clothes and some other things."

"Such as…?" TK prompted.

"Even I don't know the answer to that question, TK, and Tai won't tell you, so don't even ask," Kari sighed.

"Don't leave me, please," I whimpered into Tai's chest, starting to shake. "I need you here."

"Then come with me," he offered. "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

"Are you sure about that, Tai?" Kari asked worriedly. "It's getting late…"

"We can all go then," TK suggested. "If we're all four together, then we should be fine."

"Okay, that's better," the brunette girl agreed. "Well, whenever you guys are ready, we'll leave." We all nodded in agreement, and I changed out of my pajamas into a forest green t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

Upon leaving, I immediately felt like I was being watched. The feeling made me shiver, so Tai wrapped one arm around my waist comfortingly and kissed my temple. Eventually, we reached their apartment, and as soon as we were inside, I sighed in relief.

"Okay, let me just grab my clothes and things, and then I'll be set. Kari, go ahead and do the same," Tai said, and the brunette siblings quickly hurried about, each packing up a suitcase of clothes and grabbing their backpacks and filling them with various things. For Tai, it was video games, his laptop, and power supply for his laptop, while for Kari, it was a sketchbook, colored pencils, some pencils to draw with, her own laptop and power supply, and her camera.

"Ready?" TK asked when they rejoined us.

"Yep. I'll just lock the door on the way out," Kari answered. We left quickly, the younger brunette locking the apartment up as we left, and we practically ran back to TK and my house. As soon as we got inside with the front door locked, I slumped into the couch cushions, feeling somewhat safe. Until this was over, I couldn't feel completely safe, that much is for certain. I know I have Tai to protect me, but I don't want him to be in danger. I don't know what to do…

A/N: All of my classes are passed, so now I can enjoy 3 weeks off from school for my break! And now I can also get lots of writing done, too~ Also, the angel hair pasta thing is something I do, and it's actually really good! R&R, peeps!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm not saying anything about this chapter right here. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Coldness Thaws

Chapter 6

X*X(3 Weeks Later)X*X

It's been three weeks since that call from my lawyer about Rick escaping prison, and also since Tai and I started dating. Each passing day had me feeling more and more paranoid and upset about our current situation, and I had begun to take it out on the others. They understood my reasoning, so they didn't get mad at me for it, which made me feel like shit. Eventually, I holed myself up in my room for a day. When I finally let Tai into my room again, he sat down on the edge of my bed and ran his fingers gently through my hair. It soothed me and calmed my nerves a bit, but I was still tense.

"Matt, I know you're stressed out," my boyfriend began. I glanced up at him, and then returned my gaze to staring at the far wall. "Yama, I have an idea on how to get you to relax, but I don't want to do it if you're not ready." Tai rested his chin on my shoulder.

"…You mean…sex?" I mumbled. He nodded against my neck, gently kissing the pale skin there, and nuzzled my neck.

"Only if you're ready. If not, then we can wait, and I can at least calm you down some other way," he promised. I contemplated his words, and knew he was right, that having sex would distract and relax me. I needed to move on from Rick's actions eventually, anyway.

"…I'm ready," I whispered, turning my head to kiss him. The brunette kissed me back immediately, lapping at my lips for entrance, which I gave to him willingly. His tongue parted my lips and teeth, sliding into my mouth and tasting me. I gently sucked on the slick pink muscle, drawing a soft groan from him. When we broke apart, breathing heavily, I could see the lust in his eyes, darkening those normally bright brown orbs to a dark chocolate color.

"You're sure you want this? I don't want you to be scared," Tai asked worriedly, cupping my face in his hand and rubbing his thumb along my cheek. I relaxed into his touch, sighing in content.

"Yes, Tai, I'm sure," I nodded. "I need to move on from the rape someday, and the best way is to have sex with someone I love."

"All right, if you're sure," he murmured.

"I'm absolutely certain," I breathed, and then we kissed hotly, passionately. I moaned quietly into the kiss as Tai reached beneath my shirt and splayed his hands out over my chest, brushing his fingers against my nipples. I suddenly realized something, and I broke away with a small gasp. "What about TK and Kari?"

"They're out shopping for groceries, and won't be back for another hour," the brunette smirked at me. I smiled back at him, and we kissed again, this time my boyfriend starting to yank at my shirt a little impatiently. Chuckling, I pulled away, teasingly beginning to tug my shirt off. As soon as the garment was off of my torso and on the floor, Tai let out a strangled growling sound and kissed me deeply again. "You little tease," he growled against my lips, nipping at them.

"Never said I wasn't," I chuckled. I yelped when he palmed my growing erection through my pants, though, making the brunette snicker.

"So sensitive…" he purred in my ear. "I love it…" I whimpered as he ran his hand over my clothed crotch.

"Don't tease me, Chi," I pleaded, shivering when he began panting in my ear from his excitement.

"But I can't help it, Yama," he said softly, pulling back to peel off his own shirt. My mouth went dry when I saw his naked torso, my eyes practically raking over his six-pack. I was torn from my thoughts when Tai kissed my roughly, deeply, and laid me back on my bed. My boyfriend began to yank my pants and boxers off, and I lifted my hips eagerly to help him, pressing against him in the process and drawing a moan from him. When both articles of clothing had joined my shirt on the floor, I kissed Tai hungrily, unbuttoning his pants while maintaining the lip-lock. He broke away with a gasp when my fingers brushed against his bulging crotch.

"Don't. Do. That," he hissed, pinning my hands up by my wrists against the headboard.

"Sorry," I whispered with a small smile. "I couldn't help it." Tai shifted so he was only holding my wrists with one hand, and then tilted my chin up with the now-free hand so he could kiss me gently. His tongue slowly swept through my mouth, as though he was savoring the taste of me. I whimpered into the kiss when he rolled his hips against mine, creating wonderful friction, even though he still had on his pants and boxers.

"You like that, huh?" the brunette smirked at me when he heard me.

"Take 'em off. _Now_," I growled, tugging at his pants. Chuckling, my boyfriend slipped off my pants, and then pulled off his boxers, making my eyes go wide and my mouth water slightly at the sight of his naked form.

"Like what you see?" Tai teased, and I nodded woodenly. "Good to know~"

He reached down to his pants and fished a bottle of something out of the back pocket. I realized it was lube, and was grateful he didn't plan on spit-prepping me or, god-forbid, taking me dry. Tai slicked up three fingers and stuck one in me as I watched. I couldn't help but tense up at the intrusion, but willed myself to relax. Once he felt me relax, Tai thrust his finger in and out of my entrance carefully, trying not to hurt me, and then added the second after a few thrusts. I felt a whimper rise in my chest at the little twinges of pain as he stretched me, but I swallowed it back down. I didn't want to worry him.

"You okay?" he asked softly, kissing my inner thigh and causing me to tremble slightly in anticipation.

"Yeah…I'm fine," I panted, squirming a bit around his fingers. I moaned quietly when he scissored me after a bit, once I had adjusted to his fingers. Tai slipped in the third finger as soon as I had adjusted, making me actually whimper this time. The brunette kissed the head of my erection when I whimpered, causing me to give a breathy moan. He scissored me widely, and tears sprang to my eyes from the sting of being stretched.

Finally, Tai withdrew his fingers when I began to rock myself back on his hand. He smeared some lube onto his cock, and then pressed himself against my entrance, his chest against mine and his face buried into my neck.

"Ready?" he breathed against my neck. I nodded once, and he began to push into me. I squeezed my eyes shut tight against the twinges of pain that shot up my spine, and gritted my teeth at the feeling of Tai entering me. Damn, he was bigger than I'd originally thought…

Tai didn't seem to be faring much better, judging by the strained look on his face. He seemed to be struggling to not pound into me and hurt me, for which I was grateful. I gave an involuntary wince as he continued to bury himself within me, which caused him to gasp from the movement.

"You okay?" he whispered.

"Y-yeah, I'll be okay," I stuttered, and he kissed me gently as he became fully sheathed inside of me. I waited for about a minute before stammering, "M-move, please."

Tai grinned against my neck before kissing it and beginning to give small, slow thrusts. Eventually, I started to get tired of the slow pace, so I nipped at my boyfriend's collarbone impatiently.

"Son of a bitch, Chi, faster!" I gasped, and he gave me a wolfish grin before slamming into me, hitting my prostate hard. I screamed, my vision going white and nothing but stars clouding my sight as the wave of pleasure crashed over me. "_H-holy f-fuck! __**Tai!**_"

"You're so tight, Yama," Tai panted, and continued to thrust into me, deep and hard. I moaned loudly with each thrust, soon wrapping my legs around my boyfriend's waist to create more friction and pleasure. He gave a startled grunt when I did, and then reached down to stroke at my throbbing dick. Giving a loud moan, I tilted my head back, allowing Tai to kiss and suck at my neck as he continuously rolled his hips smoothly against mine. I felt my release coming closer and closer with each thrust he gave, and when he hit my prostate again and again, I knew it wasn't much longer.

"I-I'm gonna—" I started to say, but Tai sealed his lips over my own.

"We'll cum together," he breathed against my lips. With that, he stroked my weeping member faster, and slammed into my prostate one last time. I came with a pleasured cry, my cum splattering all over our stomachs and Tai's hand. When I came, the brunette bit down gently but firmly on my collarbone, and groaned loudly as he thrust his white-hot seed into me. Tai carefully pulled out, but I winced at the slight twinge of pain. That's gonna hurt later.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, pulling me close to him.

"Yeah…" I panted. "That was…amazing…Chi…"

"I'm glad you liked it," my boyfriend chuckled softly. I cuddled up to him, trying to ignore the pain in my ass, and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Why wouldn't I? You're just that great," I smiled sleepily.

"I know I'm awesome," he smirked, kissing my temple. "But seriously, I was worried you were going to have a panic attack in the middle of it."

"Actually, I didn't even think about it," I admitted. "And you're right, I'm more relaxed now."

"Good to know," Tai whispered, and kissed me gently on the lips. It was a brief, chaste kiss, but it made me feel good. "Let's go to sleep. If TK and Kari come in, I'll tell them you're okay now."

"Okay," I yawned, and kissed him one more time. "I love you, Chi."

"Love you, too, Yama," he breathed, and held me with our chests pressed together as I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

X*X(1 Week Later)X*X

Tai and I were lounging on the couch, watching TV and cuddling while TK and Kari worked on some of their school work in TK's room. The pair had started dating about a week earlier, shortly after they had found out about us having sex. Sure, not many people knew, except for our friends, but they were happy. Anyway, we were expecting Davis and Ken to show up at any time to pick up the work we had already completed and to give us the new work and notes.

"What's taking them so long?" Tai wondered aloud, making me look up at him from where I was snuggled into his side.

"I'm sure Davis just slept in, and Ken is trying to rush him," I murmured, yawning widely.

"Still, even then, they're running pretty late…" the brunette said worriedly. A sudden knock on the front door sounded, echoing throughout the house, and I smirked at him.

"There's your answer," I chuckled, and heaved myself off the couch to go answer the door. I looked through the peephole and saw Davis and Ken standing outside. Davis looked a little nervous, whereas Ken had a neutral expression. I opened the door, but before any of the three of us could say anything, I was grabbed and dragged away while two gunshots were fired at Ken and Davis. The two teens were hit in the leg, and I screamed as I realized who my captor was: Rick.

"Tai! Tai, it's Rick!" I screamed at the top of my lungs in terror, but before anything else could happen, I was struck in the back of the head with the butt of my ex's gun and knocked out, everything going black as I faded into unconsciousness.

A/N: And there's that chapter! Damn, Rick just had to show up, didn't he? Well, you'll soon see who's behind all of it, but that won't be until the next chapter. R&R, peeps!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry about the delays in updating, everyone, I've just been losing my motivation to write…I've also been busy getting back into the school routine. It's hard right now, and I've got other fics that I'm trying to work on, but have been failing miserably at. Anyway, on to the story! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Coldness Thaws

Chapter 7

When I finally came to, I was tied up with my hands in front of me, my mouth covered with a strip of duct tape, and in a dark room on a cold stone floor. I panicked quietly for a brief moment, but then remembered what happened prior to my being knocked out. Giving a soft whimper around the duct tape, I flicked my widened blue eyes about the room, studying my surroundings. It looked like I was in a stone cellar, and an old mattress was shoved into a corner, which made me quake in fear. I didn't want to be raped again; I wouldn't be able to handle it.

A sudden bang from upstairs and a bright light shining into the cellar made me jump slightly, and I immediately tensed out of instinct. I quickly forced myself to feign unconsciousness as I heard dainty footsteps followed by heavier ones come down the steps. I did well with the act, though, because I heard two voices speak about how I was still out, one of which I was furious and horrified to hear.

"Looks like he's still out, even after a day since you brought him here," Sora's voice sneered. "You did a little too well knocking him out, Rick."

"He'll wake up eventually," my ex's voice assured her. "I'll check on him in four hours."

"Good. I want him to suffer for what he's done," the bitch's voice hissed. I made myself remain still, even though I wanted to choke her for her words.

"Oh, he will. You didn't break me out for nothing, after all," Rick said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice. _Just wait until Tai finds you_, I thought furiously. _He'll kill you._

"Come on, let's go make-out or something," Sora purred, making me nearly retch at the mental image. I heard their footsteps walk away, and then the door shut. I strained my hearing to listen for any signs that they were still in the cellar, but didn't hear anything. Still, I waited at least five minutes before opening my eyes. Out of nowhere, a series of thumps and breathy cries and moans sounded from upstairs, and I cringed at the sounds.

I can't believe Sora's with Rick! He's a monster, and she's a cunt for breaking him out! I realized I was starting to shake with my rage, so I slowly took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. Carefully, I reached up, my hands bound by a rather thin rope, and peeled the duct tape off my mouth, not making a sound. It hurt like a bitch to pull it off, but it was worth it when I could breathe a little easier. Then I cautiously tried to sit up, managing to get into an upright position. Once I was sitting, I began to use the small amount of wiggle room on the rope binding my wrists to try and loosen my bindings. It eventually fell apart, and I began the process of untying the rope around my ankles. It fell to the stone floor with a soft thud, and I sighed in relief. I realized the thumps and noises from upstairs had stopped, and had been replaced by quiet snores. _Thank gods they're asleep_, I thought to myself.

Standing, I surveyed the area again, silently wandering around the room to search for a way out. There was a small window at the back of the room, away from the door, but I wasn't sure I would fit through it. Deciding to test my luck, I crept up the stairs to the door and pressed my ear against it, listening. Nothing but a faint pair of different snores greeted my hearing, so I carefully turned the knob; unlocked.

Cheering internally, I slowly opened the door, making sure it didn't creak, and slipped out into the dimly lit hallway. So far so good. Now to get outside without being caught. Fortunately, my vision had adjusted to the darkness of the cellar, so I could see pretty well by this point. I crept along, deciding to snatch a weapon of some sort to protect myself in case Rick and Sora realized I was missing and went to look for me and found me. I found a few kitchen knives and a pistol while quietly searching through the kitchen, so I grabbed them. I wrapped the holster for the pistol around my waist and fastened it, and then slid the gun into place. Once the knives were also bound there, I snuck off and made my way to the front door, which was unlocked. I even snatched back my phone and pocket knife from the side table by the front door.

As soon as I yanked open the front door, I fled for my life, grateful that I still had my shoes on, even through the kidnapping. I ran, praying to whatever higher power there was that I wouldn't be caught by Rick or Sora. I glanced down at my phone and slipped the battery into it, making sure that it was in correctly before putting on the back covering and turning it on. _Oh, I really hope it's not nearly dead…_ I thought desperately as I ran. Finally, the screen lit up with my wallpaper that I had used for it, a picture of Taichi and me a few days ago, and he was kissing my cheek. I felt bad, knowing that my boyfriend had to be extremely worried about me.

_Tai…I'll find you…I promise_, I promised mentally. Tears burned in my blue eyes, but I furiously blinked them away and focused on finding a signal to call the police with. Fortunately, I had about half of my battery life left on my phone. Soon, I reached a tall hill that was clear of trees, and then held my phone up in the air to try and get a signal. I was able to get a signal that was barely enough to call for help. Suddenly, a bark in the distance sounded, followed by shrieks from Sora and shouts from Rick as they searched for me.

"Oh gods, it's been that long already?" I breathed, feeling terror, and knew they had a tracking dog to find me with. That would explain the barking. I immediately pocketed my phone and bolted, running to where the nearest water source was that I could find. I needed to make sure that the dog lost my scent, or else I would definitely be caught. As I ran, I kept my hearing sharp and listened carefully for the sound of running water. I skidded to a stop when I heard the faint bubbling of flowing water nearby, and then ran towards it, and away from the barking. As soon as I reached the small river, I stepped in without hesitating, shivering violently at the freezing coldness of the water. I waded through the knee-deep frigid water for several yards, making sure to get out on the other side and then try to run again. Finally, I pulled out my phone again and looked at it; two out of five signal bars. That would be enough for an emergency call.

I swiftly dialed for the police, and my call went right through. The police answered within two rings, and I somehow managed to speak through my harsh shivering and teeth chattering.

"This is the police. What is your emergency?" a woman's voice asked on the other end of the line.

"M-my name is Y-Yamato Ishida, a-and I w-was k-kidnapped yesterday b-by my ex-boyfriend, Rick Spady," I stammered. There was some clicking in the background on her end, and I continued to try and distance myself from Rick, Sora, and their tracking dog by walking further. I couldn't really run due to my freezing body, but I was trying to get away at least.

"Yamato? We're looking for you and Rick. We got the call from Taichi Kamiya yesterday. Do you know where you are?" the officer asked.

"I j-just know I'm in a f-forest," I stuttered. "I m-managed to escape, b-but Rick has a t-tracking dog with him, a-and he's trying t-to f-find me." There was more typing.

"Are you hurt?"

"N-no, just f-freezing. I went through a-a river t-to try and m-make the d-dog l-lose my scent."

"Can you see any part of the city from where you are?"

"N-no, I'm in a thick p-part of the f-forest."

"One more question: Is there anyone helping Rick that you know?"

"Y-yes, Sora Takenouchi," I managed to say. "Please hurry, I'm freezing out here, and I'm starting to find it hard to move…"

"Don't worry, Yamato, we'll find you. We're tracking your GPS signal through your phone now, and we're gonna send out a helicopter right away," she told me. "Just hang on, Yamato, we'll find you before anything else happens to you."

"Will Taichi and TK be on the helicopter?" I whispered in a soft, desperate voice.

"We can get them on it," she assured me. "Okay, we've got your location. Just stay there and don't get caught, okay Yamato? Stay hidden, and don't come out unless you hear a helicopter close by and see searchlights from above."

"I will, ma'am," I promised, and she hung up. I took the officer's advice and hid in a hole at the base of a tree trunk, shivering violently every few seconds from the hypothermia that was starting to set in. My eyelids had started drifting closed after an hour had passed, and I struggled to keep them open.

Out of nowhere, a dog's howl sounded from probably about half a mile away. My eyes snapped open, and I quivered in fear at the sound of encouraging shouts from Rick. I pulled out my pocketknife and the pistol that I had stolen back at the cabin, and clicked the safety off from the gun. Thankfully, back when I was 13, my dad had taught me how to fire a gun like this, so I knew how to shoot it.

The dog's barking became louder and closer, maybe 11 yards away. This time, I could hear Sora snapping at Rick about how I could have possibly escaped. I shuddered at the thought of them finding me before the rescue helicopter could. I realized I would have to shoot the dog so it couldn't hurt me when I tried to fend off Rick and Sora, which makes me sad, but it has to be done. Then the barking sounded from a few yards away. I looked about wildly to find the dog so I could kill it before it found me, and then I spotted it making its way towards my hiding place. I aimed carefully, shaking a little from the cold, and then fired as I exhaled. With a loud bang, the dog crumpled to the ground, dead.

"What the fuck?!" Rick snarled, and ran to his dog, swearing loudly when he discovered the canine was dead. "Yamato! I know you're here! You're gonna pay for killing my dog and running away!" I remained still and silent, not daring to make a sound, lest he discover me.

"Hello, Yamato," Sora's voice hissed suddenly, and then she was in front of my spot, dragging me out by my ankle. Her nails bit into my skin, and I cried out in pain as they dug in deeper.

"So, he was hiding in a hole, huh?" Rick sneered as she dragged me over to him. He glared at me, pure malice in his eyes. "You shouldn't have run away like that, Yamato. Now you're gonna have to suffer for it. Especially for killing my dog."

"Just torture him already, would ya?" Sora snapped at him. I slashed at her hand with my pocketknife, causing her to scream in agony and let me go, and I scrambled to my feet. I aimed the pistol at Rick, but he already had a rifle aimed at me.

"Drop it. Now," he ordered, and I dropped the pistol. I knew he could shoot me before I could shoot him, due to my weakened state. "Why'd you run, Yamato? I thought you loved me."

"I thought I did, once," I mumbled, my head lowered. I raised my deep blue eyes and glared heavily at him. "But I realized that what we had wasn't love. It was nothing. I was just desperate for someone to love me. Now I know better." Sora was crying off to the side as she held her bleeding hand, wrapping some of her shirt around it to try and make it stop.

"Well, la-dee-da," Rick replied sarcastically. "Too bad for you, no one can have you but me. And if I can't have you, then no one can." My eyes widened in terror as he raised his rifle to aim at my head. Suddenly, a helicopter flew overhead, the searchlights passing over us, but then it backtracked to hover over us, the searchlights lighting up the area.

"Rick Spady! Drop your weapon! If you do, we'll go easy on you! If you don't, then we'll be forced to shoot!" a police officer's voice shouted over a megaphone.

"No way in hell am I letting this go!" Rick snarled, and took a step towards me with his gun lowered slightly. I took a step back, but then he raised his rifle again and aimed it at my heart. He stepped forward two more steps, and then a gunshot fired from the helicopter, hitting him in the chest. He fell over in a heap, and then the helicopter landed in the small clearing. I nearly fell over with relief as Taichi, TK, and Kari leapt out of the helicopter and ran to me. My boyfriend reached me first and hugged me tightly, followed with a searing kiss that warmed my insides. TK and Kari watched as we kissed, smiling happily as we were reunited.

"Gods, Yama, I was so worried about you," Tai whispered when we parted for air. Tears formed in my eyes as he spoke. "Are you okay? He didn't rape you again, did he?"

"No, I'm okay, just really cold," I breathed. TK joined us then, hugging me for a moment before letting Kari hug me, too.

"I'm glad you're okay, Matt," the younger blonde smiled. "We were all so worried about you."

"Where's Sora?" Kari demanded, and I glanced over to where she was still holding her bleeding hand and sobbing. The brunette girl noticed, and then glared at her. "SORA!" she screamed, and stormed over to her, punching her in the face. "How _dare_ you hurt Yamato like that! You're a sick and twisted creature! I hope you rot in prison!"

Sora didn't say anything, and then she was taken off to be cared for by medical personnel. Tai hugged me tightly again, kissing my lips lightly.

"Let's get you to the hospital. You're freezing," he murmured to me, and led me back to the helicopter. TK and Kari followed us and climbed on board as well, and I was wrapped up in a thick blanket as we took off for the hospital. I learned later that Sora was taken to the same one in a different helicopter. She also had guards posted by the door to her room so she couldn't leave.

Basically, after all of the tests at the hospital, I was put on warm IV fluids for severe dehydration and hypothermia, and warmed up so my body temperature could become regulated again. I was wrapped up in thick blankets, and Taichi even climbed into my hospital bed to share his body heat with me. The nurses and doctors never said a thing against it. They seemed to think it was very sweet, and I was grateful to my boyfriend that he was there. It was nighttime again by the time I was able to kind of settle in without being checked on every few minutes by the nurses.

"Gods, I'm tired," I mumbled sleepily as I cuddled up to Taichi. "It's been too long since I slept properly…"

"Then go to sleep, Yama," the brunette urged, gently running his fingers through my hair. It soothed my nerves from the events in the past 48-72 hours.

"I am," I sighed, and smiled tiredly as he kissed my head.

"Goodnight, Yama. I love you," he whispered.

"Goodnight, Chi. I love you, too," I murmured, and fell asleep in my love's arms.

A/N: I am sooooo sorry about this late update! I hope you guys liked this, so let me know what you think, k? R&R, peeps!


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